Botanical Family · Ranunculales

Ranunculaceae

Buttercup/Crowfoot family

12 speciesOrder Ranunculales8+ well-known plants

Herbs with many free stamens and carpels (primitive). Often contain alkaloids and are toxic. Includes buttercup, anemone, clematis, and aconitum (monk's hood).

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Representative specimen · Ranunculaceae

Key pattern

Alternate or basal, often deeply lobed leaves on herbs with an unusually 'primitive', unfused floral plan — numerous separate stamens and separate carpels arranged in a spiral rather than fused whorls — commonly storing toxic alkaloids.

Many genera (aconite/monkshood, larkspur, buttercup) rank among the most poisonous plants in their region, protected by potent alkaloids that affect the heart and nervous system.

Identify the species

Which Ranunculaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Ranunculaceae species.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Herb

Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?

White

Yellow

Flower ColorWhat color are the flowers?

Blue

White

Yellow

How to recognise the Ranunculaceae family

01
Leaf arrangement: alternate/opposite
02
Leaf type: simple/compound
03
Growth forms: herb
04
Inflorescence: cymose/solitary/raceme
05
Fruit: achene/follicle

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Ranunculaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method